Lawyers and Snakeheads
by jontravolta-23
Summary: A mishap at the SGC leads a pair of lawyers from JAG in Washington to investigate
1. Chapter 1

This is a crossover story between JAG and Stargate: SG-1. I know it may seem like a stretch to try and combine these two shows, but my mantra for this story is: Thank God for the Marines. I am going to use the fact that there are Marines at the SGC to incorporate the characters of JAG into a story. This story will start out as a JAG story but will eventually become a "Stargate Inspired" JAG story. I am not quite certain where I am taking this story yet so just bear with me. Okay, that's enough babbling. On with the story.  
  
Chapter 1  
  
"Get Down!!!"  
  
As the shout rang out through the haze of the battle, Major Wilkins wished he had never gotten out of bed today. Despite the fact that that bed happened to be a sleeping bag rolled out on the cold, hard ground, the Major knew that the rocks poking in his back just seven hours ago would be a welcome change to the.predicament he and his team of Marines were in now. Of course, he was a Marine and would therefore never admit those fleeting thoughts to anyone.  
  
Now, here he was, about to die of this God forsaken piece of shit rock (better known as P5C-424), and what did he have to show for it? Nothing. Not even a single shred of good intel in their continuing battle with the Goa'uld. 'I am going to kick the ass of the so called expert that recommended this little excursion,' Major Wilkins thought to himself.  
  
The Major's thought were interrupted by the scared face of the newest member of his off world team.  
  
"Report Lieutenant."  
  
Lieutenant Rothby gave the Major an incredulous look. 'Report?' he thought. 'We're gettin' our asses kicked, how's that for a report?' However Rothby knew his place and quickly discarded the thoughts that would most definitely get him court martialled, if not shot by his superior.  
  
"Sir, the Jaffa have taken up flanking positions on both sides of us and are making it extremely diffucult for Captain Michaels to dial out. Every time he steps up on the pedestal to dial, they hit us with another barrage. Our only hope right now sir is to weaken the left side of their forces where they have the cannon blasters. If we can do that, we should be able to lay down enough cover fire to dial out."  
  
"Okay Lieutenant, I want you and Lt. Anders to try and outflank the left side of that column of Jaffa. I need for the two of you to draw as much attention away from the pedestal as possible. Once Michaels dials out, he and I will lay down cover for you two as you fall back to the gate. Understood?"  
  
"Yes Sir!"  
  
Rothby signaled to Lt. Anders who was currently firing to the right flank and advised him of the change in plans. Anders acknowledged immediately and pulled back along the front ridge to join Rothby. Meanwhile, Major Wilkins and Captain Michaels moved into position to provide rear cover for their teammates. After ten minutes of what seemed like never ending bombardments, the team finally had a break. Two of the three Jaffa cannons had been destroyed allowing Captain Michaels to reach the pedestal and dial out to Earth. As the wormhole formed, Major Wilkins sent the iris code through the wormhole along with the emergency message and then ordered his team to extract. Captain Michaels dove from behind the DHD and was the first to make it through the wormhole. The Major pulled himself back to the higher ground of the Stargate platform and begin to lay down rapid cover fire for the remaining two members of his team. As his two team members approached the gate, Wilkins attempted to re-adjust his stance to give himself a better angle on the approaching Jaffa. As he stepped back two steps, the Major failed to notice the large piece of debris directly underfoot and step down onto the unstable piece of rock. Losing his balance he stumbled back and was engulfed by the wormhole.  
  
As blackness turned to light Wilkin's head impacted onto the grated surface of the embarkation ramp. He felt the pain wince through his head and neck and immediately felt the warmth of blood rushing from under his hat.  
  
"Damn't, that hurt!!"  
  
The booming sound of the General's voice resounded through the gate room, "Major, are you okay?"  
  
It took a moment for his vision to clear but he responded shortly with a quick,"Yes Sir."  
  
At this moment, the commotion in the gate room was interrupted by the wormhole disengaging. Major Wilkins looked on with complete shock as he felt a sickening feeling building up in his gut. Michaels came through, but there was no sign of Lieutenants Rothby or Anders.  
  
"General, we need to re-dial P5C-424 immediately. I still have two men on the other side!"  
  
"I am sorry Major, but I will not allow you to go back through. If the wormhole disengaged then the fate of Lt. Rothby and Lt. Anders has unfortunately been sealed. I will not risk the lives of anymore SGC personnel when the Lieutenants are probably already dead. I am sorry Major."  
  
"But General."  
  
"That is final Major. Doctor Frasier, please take Captain Michaels and Major Wilkins to the infirmary for a complete check up. Major, we will debrief in one hour. All other personnel stand down."  
  
Wilkins heart sank in his chest as he looked up at the gate looming over him. Two of his men were gone and it was his fault. He had committed the cardinal sin of any leader of an SG team; he had left men behind. Regardless of the circumstances surrounding the incident, he had killed two of his men because he was not the last one through the gate. He had not ensured the safety of his entire team and now two families would have to be told that there sons were not coming home. As the medical orderly helped him to his feet, Wilkins knew that his days as an SG team leader were officially over. 


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2  
  
1225 Zulu JAG Headquarters Falls Church, Virginia  
  
"Hello Commander, how are you this morning?"  
  
"I am good Bud. How is Harriet doing?"  
  
Mornings in the break room at JAG Headquarters were one of the few times that Harmon Rabb Jr. felt like a normal person. He would stand there making his coffee while exchanging pointless, yet very important, conversation with his co-workers. Once out of the sanctity of this little room, the gloves came off and the world of justice reared its ugly head. Sometimes Harm was taken aback by the entirely crazy world he lived in from day to day. For example, here he was exchanging pleasantries with Bud Roberts, one of his closest and most trusted friends. In thirty five minutes he would be standing across the aisle from the Lieutenant ready to square off in a very heated court martial case in which he was defending and Bud was sitting second chair for the prosecution. If that wasn't bad enough, the officer sitting first chair across from him was an even bigger conundrum.  
  
"Hello gentlemen, already getting our coffee fix for the morning?"  
  
Speak of the devil with the most impeccable timing. Lt. Colonel Sarah MacKenzie, his nemesis. Harm had never argued with or fought against any other person more in life than the woman standing next to him making herself a cup of hot tea. She challenged him at every turn and was the cause for some of the latest nights burning the midnight oil and restless nights of sleep. She caused more trouble for him than anyone else he had ever met. And the truth is, he loved her for it. She was the greatest thing that ever happened to him because she made him a better person. Of course, he would never tell her that unless subjected to the most extreme torture imaginable. Between his Fighter Jock pride and her Jarhead arrogance, that little piece of intel was something that he would keep a secret forever. Or at least until she was the torturer.  
  
"Earth to Harm. Commander Rabb, you still with us?"  
  
Harm snapped from his reverie and wiped away the grin threatening to creep across his face.  
  
"Sorry, just lost in thought for a moment," Harm replied.  
  
The Colonel did nothing to wipe the smirk on her face. "Oh really, what.are you thinking of the major butt kicking coming your way in 28 minutes and 13 seconds?"  
  
Harm bit back the snarky remark he knew he wanted to say and followed up with his famous fly boy grin. "Mac, if I were you, I would stow the psychological warfare for a case that actually has merit. I will not succumb to your games nor will I respond to your haughty attitude with a response. Except maybe to say that I know your "tell" and I know something you don't want me to know."  
  
Mac looked back incredulously. He was bluffing and she knew it. "Oh really, and what is this so called "tell" you think you know Commander?"  
  
Instantly, Harm turned to the Colonel and descended upon her so quickly that she braced herself for the impending collision. To her relief, the impact did not follow. Unfortunately, all relief flew out the window as the Colonel immediately became aware of the Commander's proximity to her. If either one of them moved a couple of inches forward, their lips would meet in a heated kiss. The Colonel sucked in her breathe and dared not move. Technically, she could call "Red Light" at this moment forcing the Commander to back off or face the consequences. Fortunately for her, she apparently lost all ability to speak at this exact moment in time.  
  
The Commander was mere inches from death at this moment. Harm was a great soldier and could hold his own in a fight, but he was not stupid enough to think that the Colonel could not do immense damage to him if she chose. The Commander approached his next statement carefully so as to ensure the best results in this little game. "What I know Colonel," Harm whispered, "is that you always try to bait me into an argument whenever you have a weak case. As soon as those snarky words leave your lips (emphasis on the word lips), I know I have you right where I want you Sarah.in a corner."  
  
The Colonel couldn't move. She could feel the heat rising up her body into her cheeks. Her mind was screaming for her to jump him right there in the break room. As she looked up from Harm's mouth as he quietly spoke to her, she found him staring back at her with his intense blue eyes. What was that in his eyes? It almost seemed like.desire, passion. And then, right when she couldn't take it anymore, Harm cracked a huge smile across his face and slowly brushed passed her heading for the exit.  
  
"See you in court Colonel."  
  
'What the hell was that? Crap. That sorry ass bastard set me up. He did the one thing that he knew would rattle my cage and I was impervious to his charm. Sometimes I could just strangle him. Of course, I would have much preferred the "jumping his bones" scenario.'  
  
It was at this moment that Mac realized she was not alone in the break room. Wiping the goofy smile off her face, she looked up she could see Bud staring at her while the corners of his mouth were twitching upwards as he resisted grinning from ear to ear. The Colonel felt a second wave of heat rise to her cheeks, only this time it was in embarrassment.  
  
"He got to you didn't he Ma'am?"  
  
"He certainly did not Lieutenant. The Commander thinks that he can just charm anyone he wants with his cute fly boy smile and his musky cologne and his dress whites and.what was I talking about?"  
  
"Something about your ability to resist the many charms of Commander Rabb ma'am."  
  
"Right, as I was saying Bud."  
  
"So is this what we call work these days people?" the Admiral interjected.  
  
Like finely tuned machines, Lt. Roberts and Colonel MacKenzie snapped to attention and sounded off a resounding 'No Sir' in unison.  
  
"Well then why don't we return to our office Lieutenant and get busy doing some work," the Admiral continued as he glared at Lt. Robert's staunch form.  
  
With a quick 'Yes Sir' the Lieutenant scurried off leaving the Colonel to face the wrath alone.  
  
"At ease Colonel."  
  
"Thank you sir."  
  
The Admiral looked at the Colonel and immediately realized that she seemed somewhat.distracted.  
  
"Is there something wrong Colonel?"  
  
"Not at all Sir, Bud and I were just discussing our case and about Commander Rabb's attempts at mind games. Apparently he doesn't have a very good case because he is just trying to rattle us early." The Colonel knew her excuse was lame but the Admiral either missed this or chose to ignore it.  
  
"Well, Colonel, speaking of Commander Rabb, I need to see both you and the Commander in my office immediately."  
  
"Understood Sir. Sir, if I may, is there some problem?" The Colonel did not like being pulled into the Admiral's office unexpectedly as it usually meant she was in some kind of trouble.  
  
"Colonel, I don't want to have to explain this twice. Just find Rabb and both of you report to my office ASAP." The Admiral turned to leave.  
  
"Yes Sir."  
  
Upon the Admiral's departure, Mac made her way over to Harm's office. As she stepped inside the Commander looked up from his desk and gave her that fly boy grin.  
  
"So Colonel, finally get that tongue of yours untied?" Harm was definitely loving this.  
  
The Colonel steadied herself so as not to go weak in the knees and glared at the Commander. "In regards to our previous conversation Commander, we will be discussing your inappropriate behavior later. For now, the Admiral has requested we join him in his office immediately."  
  
Harm's smile quickly faded. 'Oh shit, what did I do now? Surely the Colonel didn't report him. I mean, this wasn't the first time they had flirted at work. Maybe I have really stepped over the line this time.' In an effort to try and make amends before facing the firing squad Harm jumped quickly to an apology. "Mac, I'm sorry if I."  
  
"Stow it Commander," the Colonel turned and started out of the office. "I don't want to hear it." She put as much distance between herself and Commander Rabb so he couldn't see the grin that was threatening to spread across her entire face.  
  
Harm stood and slowly left his office like a dog with his tail tucked between his legs. 'Of all the stupid things I could have done, I pushed Mac over the line and now she has reported me. I guess it is time to go and salvage what is left of my career. Maybe I would make a good Navy janitor."  
  
After a quick knock and a resounding "Enter" Harm made his way into hel.that is the Admiral's office. He very quickly stood at attention.  
  
"Commander Rabb, reporting as ordered, sir"  
  
"At ease Commander, and take a seat. The Colonel and I were just waiting for you to arrive."  
  
'Yes Sir, and Admiral, if I may sir, I would first like to apologize for my earlier behavior. I was only playing the game as the Colonel and I normally play it sir and I was not intentionally trying to step over the line."  
  
The Admiral stared on in complete bewilderment. 'These two need to.do something to ease the tension around here.' "Commander, why is it that every time I call you to my office unexpectedly you automatically assume that I am mad at you or that you need to be disciplined?"  
  
At the Commander's blank stare the Admiral realized the absurdity of his last statement. "Okay, so it usually means that you are in trouble, but not this time. That is unless Colonel MacKenzie has something she would like to share with the group?"  
  
Throughout the entire conversation between the Admiral and the Commander, Mac had kept her head low and did everything she could to keep from laughing. Harm was burying himself with every word he spoke and didn't even realize that she was still playing the game. Oh, and what a sweet victory it would be.  
  
"Colonel, are you paying attention?"  
  
Finally aware the Admiral was speaking to her Mac quickly recovered. "Yes Sir. I was.just thinking about the court case that starts in 8 minutes and 46 seconds."  
  
This set the Admiral back, even if for a second. 'How in the hell does she do that. I swear, she is an adopted Swiss child if I have ever seen one.' "May I assume that you have no problem with the Commander that requires my immediate attention or the firing squad?"  
  
A small smile crept across Mac's face. "No Sir, I will deal with the Commander's transgression later, in my own way."  
  
"God, I hope so," murmured the Admiral.  
  
Mac's head snapped back to the Admiral immediately. "Sir?"  
  
Quickly recovering, the Admiral decided it was time for a new topic. "Never mind Colonel, let's move on shall we?" He waited for their nods of approval. "As of 0820 this morning the two of you are no longer on the Henderson case about to go to trial."  
  
Harms stunned face said it all. "But Sir, did we do someth."  
  
"No Commander, you did not do anything wrong to warrant being pulled off this case. At least, nothing I have heard of yet. And for the rest of this conversation Commander, why don't you sit there quietly and let me finish before jumping in and digging yourself a bigger hole, okay?"  
  
"Yes Sir."  
  
"As I was saying, the two of you are being pulled off of the Henderson court martial to take over an investigation in Colorado."  
  
Mac raised her eyebrow with intrigue. "Colorado Sir? Not too many naval bases there."  
  
"You are correct Colonel. That is why you and the Commander are heading for an Air Force installation. More specifically, Petersen Air Force Base in Colorado Springs."  
  
"Air Force base sir. What, did the Air Force run out of lawyers?" the Commander interjected.  
  
"No, you two will be investigating a Marine there by the name of Major Thomas Wilkins."  
  
Mac now got into the conversation. "Marines on an Air Force Base? Did I miss something Sir?"  
  
"Well Colonel, if you did you wouldn't be the first. Apparently the SECNAV is just as confused as you are right now. He too was unaware of a contingent of Marines stationed at Petersen. Apparently their presence there is highly top secret. Hell, even I was turned away when I questioned the Base Commander this morning, a General George Hammond, about the job requirements of Marines on his base. His response to me was 'need to know.' Apparently, I don't need to know and the two of you do."  
  
Harm quickly jumped in. "Admiral, if I may, what is the nature of the Colonel's and my job upon arrival at Petersen Sir?"  
  
"That too Commander is "need to know." I am only assuming that the two of you have been chosen because the soldier in question is a Marine and you both have worked on numerous high security cases before."  
  
Harm's curiosity suddenly took a nose dive. "Sir, please tell me this is not another one of Webb's missions?  
  
"Actually Commander, that was the first thing I thought of when I was 'informed' by the SECNAV that the two of you were personally requested. The fact is though, this has nothing to do with Webb this time. Apparently, you two have made quite a name for yourselves all on your own."  
  
Harm and Mac stole a quick glance at each other as they digested everything the Admiral had just said. They were to report to an Air Force Base in the middle of Colorado to investigate a Marine stationed there. That's it. No other information available. Neither one of them could quite quell their churning stomachs as they both realized that they were probably walking into something that neither one wanted to be involved in.  
  
The Admiral snapped them out of their reverie. "Okay people, that is all. Here are your mission itineraries. Your point of contacts upon arrival at Petersen will be a Colonel Jack O'Neill and a Major Samantha Carter, both USAF. They will be your.tour guides so to speak. You fly out of Andrews at 0800 tomorrow morning. Any other questions?"  
  
The Commander and Colonel both resounded off a "No Sir."  
  
"Very well. You two are dismissed." The Admiral waited until they had almost reached the door of his office. "Oh, Commander.Colonel?" The two exiting officers turned to their CO. "I know that this request will probably be ignored like most of my others but.please stay out of trouble."  
  
The Commander and Colonel took one look at each other as the smiles slowly spread across their faces. They both knew that the Admiral's request would never be fulfilled but they would never tell him that. Instead, they resounded back with a quick "Yes Sir."  
  
As they left the office and entered the Bullpen there was only one thought on their collective minds; 'Let the games begin.' 


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3  
  
"Colonel O'Neill, Major Carter reporting as ordered Sir."  
  
"At ease you two. How was your mission to P3Y-510?"  
  
A smile spread across the face of Colonel Jack O'Neill as he remembered the strange events that took place just a few hours before. "Peachy Sir, just peachy. In fact, I have this wonderful story to tell you about Major Carter and one of the local boys on the planet. It seems that."  
  
"Excuse me Colonel," Major Carter interjected quickly, "I really don't think the General wants to hear about that right now!"  
  
"But the General asked 'How was the mission' and I thought it only wise to advise."  
  
"Colonel!" the Major said, nearly yelling this time. "I would like to explain that to the General in my report so if you don't mind, stow it Jack.I mean Sir."  
  
The General decided to jump in and prevent Major Carter from tearing Jack a new one, so to speak. "I agree with the Major here Colonel. Please save any "stories" you have about the mission or Major Carter for the mission reports."  
  
The major let out a breath she didn't even know she was holding. "Thank you General."  
  
"Or at least wait until she leaves the room," the General quickly added.  
  
"SIR!!"  
  
"I am just kidding Major Carter. The Colonel and I will not discuss any potentially embarrassing incidents without your express permission."  
  
The smile on Colonel O'Neill's face spread from ear to ear as he watched a flabbergasted Carter try and regain a sense of control. He had worked with the Major for more than seven years now and he still liked to ruffle her feathers. She was just so damn sexy when she was mad.  
  
"Back to business here people. While you were gone, we had some trouble here. Yesterday at 1030 local time, Major Wilkins and the rest of his SG-15 team were caught in an ambush on P5C-424. They met heavy resistance while extracting to the Stargate but they were able to make it back."  
  
The Colonel's mood immediately went into the serious mode of a trained soldier. "Any casualties Sir?"  
  
The General let out a deep sigh. "Unfortunately there were two casualties. Both Lt. Anders and Lt. Rothby were presumably killed on the retreat back through the Stargate."  
  
Colonel O'Neill furrowed his brow as he considered the General's last statement. "Presumably Sir? Why are we only presuming they are dead instead of knowing for certain? Isn't our motto 'Dead or alive, leave no one behind.?"  
  
The General could see where the Colonel was going with this line of questioning so he quickly jumped right to the point. "According to Major Wilkins, he was laying down cover fire for the retreating Lieutenants from the Stargate platform. As he stepped backwards to reposition himself for a better angle on the advancing Jaffa, he was tripped up by debris laying on the platform. He lost his balance and fell back through the Stargate, striking his head on the ramp as he emerged on the Earth side of the wormhole. We waited for the other two members of his team to follow him through, but they never did. The wormhole disengaged and was never redialed from P5C-424. Major Wilkins immediately requested I redial the planet so he could return for his stranded men, however I denied his request. I did not see any reason to put the lives of other soldiers in harms way for two soldiers who were most likely killed in action."  
  
As silence filled the room, the Colonel realized the General was done talking. "So.what's the problem? I can see nothing wrong with Major Wilkins explanation. He was fighting to the end for his men and his efforts were only interrupted because of some ill placed rocks lying around. No one can fault him for that."  
  
The silence still lingered and the Colonel could definitely feel a migraine coming on at the deafening roar of nothing being said. The General only stared back at the Colonel with a defeated look.  
  
"No one can fault him for that, right General?"  
  
"Apparently they can Colonel. As you know, NID has been looking for ways to get in here and take over for years. Well, this was the tip of the iceberg. They have screamed loud enough and it appears they are now doing their yelling from the Office of the Vice President of the United States. Vice President Kinsey has called for an Article 32 hearing as a prelude to a court martial for Major Wilkins. In addition, he apparently thinks he has enough clout to go after me too. He has officially launched a formal investigation into the operation and management of this facility. To put it bluntly, he is after my butt and I don't think he is going to stop until he has it."  
  
Up until now Major Carter had listened quietly to the explanations by the General. Now she felt it was time to offer her encouraging words. "Well sir, not to lessen the importance of two fine officers, but we have lost men and women before. There is nothing out of the ordinary about their deaths or the way that Major Wilkins handled the entire situation. This sounds like to me a way for Kinsey to toot his so called horn again. And with all do respect to the office of the Vice President, but we have dealt with Kinsey before sir. In my opinion, the people of the land of the light are more of a threat than he is."  
  
"I may have agreed with you Major before today. Unfortunately, the Vice President now has support from a high ranking member of Congress."  
  
"How is that possible sir, considering this is a top secret mission only known to the President and the Joint Chiefs?" O'Neill interjected.  
  
"Because the Vice President told her Colonel."  
  
Jack's mouth dropped open in shock. "He did what? My god, that constitutes a breach of national security. Just by mentioning this to someone without the clearance would land his ass in federal prison."  
  
"Not this time Colonel. You see the Vice President played his cards just right. He knows that there is no way he would be arrested for a breach of national security."  
  
The Colonel and Major gave each other a stunned look before the Colonel turned back to the General, "And why not, may I ask?'  
  
"Because he is the Vice President. You don't just arrest the Vice President without a few people in the general public noticing. And once the public demands answers, what do you tell them? 'There was a breach of national security but sorry, we can't tell you what it was.' People would be outraged. No, Kinsey knew exactly what he was doing and he took advantage of the situation."  
  
The Major quickly jumped in here. "So he told someone in Congress, big deal. I mean he may be protected as the Vice President but if the Congressman he told even attempts to breathe a word of this to the press, they will be arrested."  
  
"That is unless the said Congresswoman is the mother of one of the deceased soldiers from Major Wilkins team."  
  
The truth suddenly dawned on Colonel O'Neill as General Hammond made his last statement. "Rothby? As in 20 year Senator Marilyn Rothby from Delaware? With all due respect General, how did a Senators son end up on a top secret team that travels to other worlds through a wormhole.? I mean, maybe I am missing something here but how is it the son of a high ranking Senator is allowed to even be near the SGC. Doesn't that constitute a very real potential for a major conflict of interest sir? One slip of the tongue and that kid could have brought us all down."  
  
General Hammond stood from his chair and walked to the plate glass window that overlooked the briefing room. "The fact of the matter is Colonel, that is just the type of mismanagement question that Kinsey wants answered, although not for the same reasons you just stated. He is a man championing a cause and he will stop at nothing until he as complete control of this facility. As of right now people, we are under the microscope." The General turned and faced his two officers as they both rose from their seats. "Tomorrow morning two officers appointed by the President himself will be arriving to begin a full inquiry into our facility. I have designated both you, Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter as liaison officers to these investigators. You will see to their every need and make sure they leave here with an honest and fair idea of how we run this base."  
  
"Honest and fair, Sir?" the Colonel stated with just a hint of doubt.  
  
"Yes Colonel, most definitely honest and fair. There is a lot of mud slinging coming out of Washington right now and I want us to rise above it all. If we are going down, then we are going down in the knowledge that we took the higher ground. I will not lower ourselves to playing politics with the Vice President just because he has a ten foot pole shoved up his." The General immediately stopped as he knew his next statement would not look good in front of his two best officers.  
  
The Major cracked a little smile and responded to the General's ranting, "We understand Sir. We will do our best to ensure the investigators get a fair representation of how we run this facility. Although, considering these are Washington flunkies Sir, I don't know if it will matter how we act. They are coming here to destroy us and whether or not we bring them tea and cookies before bedtime is not going to change that General."  
  
The General shook his head and continued with the briefing, "Actually Major, I think our one saving grace in all of this is the two investigators being sent here." The General moved back to his desk and picked up duplicate dossiers on the two JAG lawyers. "Colonel, Major.please familiarize yourselves with these two officers. They are being sent her from the Judge Advocate General's office in D.C."  
  
The Colonel's confusion returned. "Navy? They are sending us Navy lawyers? Did we walk into an alternate dimension or something?"  
  
"Actually Colonel, only one of the officers is Navy. The other one is a Marine. Lt. Colonel Sarah MacKenzie is the Marine lawyer that will be heading up the investigation. Commander Harmon Rabb Jr. of the U.S. Navy will be assisting her, although from what I here, they are both top notch investigators as well as lawyers."  
  
"Oooh, for cryin' out loud General, lawyers? They are sending us pencil pushers and the 'snakes' of the Earth to investigate us? We might as well pack our bags now. How are two desk jockeys suppose to investigate a fully combat ready facility when their idea of combat is fighting for the coffee pot? You know General, I hate lawyers even more than I hate scientists."  
  
Major Carter snapped her head around immediately. "Hey!"  
  
'Bite my tongue' thought the Colonel. "No offense Major."  
  
"None taken Sir."  
  
The General quickly jumped in, "Okay people that is enough. Colonel I suggest you read the entire dossier on these two. I think you might just be surprised."  
  
"If you say so Sir."  
  
"The General rose from his chair as he prepared to dismiss his officers. "Colonel, Major.Commander Rabb and Lt. Colonel MacKenzie will be arriving at Petersen Air Force Base tomorrow morning at 0930 local time. You will be waiting for them there and then escort them back to Cheyenne Mountain." The Colonel and Major both nodded their affirmative responses to the General and he responded with a final, "Dismissed."  
  
As the Colonel and Major exited out into the hallway and progressed towards the Major's lab, Colonel O'Neill realized that the Major was being very quiet. As he turned and looked at her, he could see that she had her head buried in one of the dossiers. "What are you looking at Major?"  
  
"I am just studying these files on Commander Rabb sir. This guy is one amazing man."  
  
"Oh really." The Colonel turned away slightly perturbed. "And what is so special about the great Harmon Rabb Jr.?"  
  
"Let's just say he could give you a run for your money sir." The major walked passed the Colonel as he stopped in the hallway. It was everything she could do to try and prevent a smile from creeping onto her face.  
  
As the Major progressed further down the hallway, the Colonel finally quashed the feelings of jealousy and turned his attention back to the retreating Major. "And what the hell is that suppose to mean? Carter? Don't walk away from me Carter." The Colonel sighed and heightened his pace after Carter. He already didn't like this Rabb guy and the fact that Major Carter was going all gaga for him didn't help. Looking up at the ceiling the Colonel said to himself, 'God, help me through these next few days and please make sure I don't kill this Rabb. That might not look good for my record.' "Damn't Carter, wait up." 


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4  
  
1300 Zulu Air Force Flight 2597 Somewhere Over Western Kansas  
  
"These people must be ghosts or something. I mean, they wouldn't even give us there military dossier."  
  
Mac smiled as she saw the frustration creep across Harm's face. "Oh Harm. Just because you aren't used to 'flying' into a situation without any information doesn't mean we have anything to fear. And the Admiral did say that the group we were being sent in to investigate is doing some sort of scientific research into Deep Space.something or other."  
  
Harm smiled at Mac as she stumbled over the words. "It is Deep Space Radar Telemetry. My main question is 'What the hell is so top secret about that?' Of course I am sure it has something to do with spying on other countries with some advanced satellites or something of the like. Still Mac, I don't like going into something blind. I just wish they could have given us a heads up into what we are going to be investigating. Call me cautious, but I like to have a game plan before I hit the combat zone."  
  
"Paranoid is more like it," the Colonel mumbled under her breath.  
  
"Excuse me," Harm said with a wounded look.  
  
Mac had to stifle a laugh as she wrapped her arm around the Commanders. "I am just kidding Harm. I apologize for making fun of you.but sometimes it is just so easy." It was about this time when she fell into a hearty laugh.  
  
Harm pulled his arm from her grasp and stuck his bottom lip out in a pout. "Leave me alone. I think I have suffered enough of your ridicule today."  
  
Mac attempted to repair his damaged pride. "Oh Harm, you know I am just kidding you. The truth is, I believe your feelings of uncertainty are well-founded. Unfortunately, one of us needs to adopt a more optimistic approach to this case and I suppose that someone is me." She could tell her words weren't quite getting through to him. She decided it was time for the last resort. She leaned in close and whispered softly into his ear, "Tell you what fly boy. I will stand behind you when we arrive so you can protect me, okay?"  
  
Harm had to take a deep breathe to control the rising heat in his body. He turned slowly and looked deep into the chocolate eyes of his partner. "Now you are just trying to make me feel all manly and everything."  
  
Mac let herself get lost in the blue orbs that were searching her soul at that very moment. For the most part, their conversation was running on autopilot as there was no way she could carry on a lucid conversation on her own right now. "Is it working," she asked, biting her bottom lip.  
  
Harm noticed her biting her lip and said to himself, 'Man, how I wish I was the one biting that lip right now.' "Yes it is ma'am."  
  
Mac smiled at the up front show of courtesy by Harm. He had called her Ma'am. It wasn't to show respect for her military rank but more to show her the respect he felt she deserved as a lady. He was quite the gentleman. Several moments passed as the two officers let themselves drift into each others eyes. The moment would have been perfect had it not been for the interruption of an airman clearing his throat. The Colonel immediately snapped to as she remembered where she was and that she and the Commander had an audience. "Yes Airman, what can we do for you?"  
  
"Just wanted to advise the Commander and the Colonel that we will be landing at Petersen Air Force Base in 10 minutes. The pilot requested you buckle your seatbelts and prepare for landing."  
  
Harm slowly slipped his arm from the Colonel's and turned politely to the airman. "Thank you Airman. Please advise the pilot that we are ready for landing. If possible, could you have the pilot notify our liaison officers on the ground that we are on final approach?"  
  
"Yes Sir, I will notify the pilot immediately." Upon this statement the airman exited the cabin and returned to the flight deck.  
  
Harm turned to Mac and could see that she was back in professional mode. "You know Mac, we still have a few minutes left if you would like to continue the whole staring contest?"  
  
Mac shook her head. "I don't think so Commander. We are here to do a job and that is all. We must maintain an air of professionalism if we are to be taken seriously."  
  
Harm looked on in disbelief of her statement. "An air of professionalism? What, do I look like a damn recruit that needs disciplined. I believe that you are just as guilty of lacking professionalism just a few moments ago."  
  
"Commander, I do not wish to argue with you about this. And for that matter, when we land I want you to remember who is in charge of this investigation. I will not tolerate dissension in the ranks from you. Mind your tongue when we are in the presence of our liaison officers as well as anyone else. Understood?"  
  
Harm's mouth dropped open in utter shock. If he hadn't been so taken aback by her cold shoulder and abrupt statement, he would most likely have been very pissed off right now. "Yes Ma'am," he said with a heavy hint of sarcasm. "Please forgive me for getting in your way as you climb to the top. So does this mean I will be getting you your tea and danishes when we land or will I be awarded with the privilege of actually assisting on this investigation?"  
  
"You will do as I tell you Commander, is that understood?" Mac bit back rather loudly and with just a hint of authority.  
  
"No problem, MA'AM!"  
  
The rest of the flight into Petersen was very quiet and not very comfortable. The tension between the two officers was palpable and could have been cut through with a knife. Harm buried himself back in the limited paperwork they had regarding the subject of their investigation while Mac kicked herself silently for acting as she did towards the Commander. The truth was Harm would have probably been the lead investigator on this case had it not been for the fact that Mac was a Marine and therefore was there to investigate fellow Marines on the base. Even with his superb investigative skills, Commander Rabb would not have been on this case except for the fact that he was there with Mac.  
  
Sarah knew she didn't mean to say the things to Harm that she did. The trouble with their relationship, if you could call it that, was that it had a solid foundation in competition. Commander Rabb had always been the Admiral's golden boy even after Harm's resignation and eventual reinstatement to the navy following the Paraguay incident. And even though her best friend was back, Mac had to admit that she was just a little jealous of Harmon when those around him sometimes deified him. What she had the most trouble admitting was that she did this herself. Although her reasons for placing the Commander on a pedestal were probably different from the reasons of the others. She was in love with the man. This man who annoyed her to no end yet at the same time made her realize that she wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of her life with him. Of course, knowing this herself and admitting this out loud were to different things. And apparently something that she wasn't meant to think about right now.  
  
"Excuse me, ma'am, sir.we have landed and are ready to disembark." The airman turned on his heels and exited the cabin yet again.  
  
As they stood to exit the plane, Mac grabbed Harm's arm and turned him towards her, "Commander, about my statements before."  
  
"Don't worry about it Colonel, I was out of line in assuming anything of a personal nature was on your mind. I should not have been so forward in my statements to you. I can assure you Colonel, it will not happen again." With this, Commander Rabb pushed his way passed the Colonel and descended the steps of the plane.  
  
'Well damn, that didn't go quite like I wanted it to. I am going to have to fix this soon if we are going to complete this investigation without killing each other.' Mac did an about face and descended the steps of the plane and joined the Commander on the ground. As she looked up at him, she could see that his eyes her distant. This was his way of telling her to leave it on the plane. Before she could contemplate the next move, her thoughts were interrupted by two Air Force officers advancing on their position on the tarmac.  
  
"Colonel MacKenzie, Commander Rabb.I am Colonel Jack O'Neill of the United Stated Air Force. I would like to introduce you to Major Samantha Carter, also of the United States Air Force. We will be your liaison officers for the remainder of your stay at our facility." O'Neill extended his hand to Colonel Mackenzie and then to Commander Rabb in a genuine diplomatic motion. Major Carter followed suit and greeted the two officers in her presence.  
  
Colonel MacKenzie returned the greeting to Colonel O'Neill. "Thank you Colonel O'Neill, I am Lt. Colonel Sarah MacKenzie of the United States Marine Corp and I too would also like to introduce you to my partner. This is Commander Harmon Rabb Jr., United States Navy. We are honored to be here at your facility and hope that we can complete this investigation in a timely fashion. I am sure we all have a lot of work to do so we don't want to take up too much of your time."  
  
Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter glanced at each other briefly and each one could tell that the other was feeling just a little better about this investigation. Colonel MacKenzie had seemed very sincere in her assertion that they were not there to cause trouble and they were getting the same "vibe" from Commander Rabb.  
  
Major Carter quickly jumped in and addressed the Commander as he was probably feeling a little left out as she was at this moment. "So Commander Rabb, I understand from you dossier you were a Naval Aviator in Bosnia and Afghanistan. What led you to be a lawyer for JAG?"  
  
Commander Rabb threw the Major his patented fly boy grin that made most women go weak in the knees and responded, "Well ma'am, I still haven't decided if I am a lawyer in a pilot's body or visa versa." The Major smiled at the obvious deflection and nodded that she understood his need for being vague. "Actually Major, I had a ramp strike many years ago that brought my flying career to an abrupt end. Luckily, I was returned to active flight status and have been privileged to defend my country in several engagements since then."  
  
'Man is he hot or what? And what is with that smile? I think I might to lean on the Colonel here to steady myself.' "Well Commander, it is a pleasure to meet a true American hero."  
  
Colonel O'Neill just rolled his eyes, 'Oh please, American hero my."  
  
"So Colonel O'Neill, not much information was included in the dossier reports for you and Major Carter." Mac interjected. She could see the Colonel was not happy with the Major's statements regarding the Commander and she had to say that she felt a twinge of jealousy when the Commander started smiling at that little tart, Major Carter.  
  
O'Neill turned his attention to Colonel MacKenzie and quietly thanked her for changing the subject away from superboy over there. "I do apologize for that Colonel MacKenzie, but unfortunately we must operate here with an air of anonymity. Our work is highly classified and therefore any information about the Major and I is also considered top secret. We would be happy to debrief you on our areas of expertise however I suggest we do that one the way back to our base."  
  
Mac looked at Harm with confusion as he returned her stare. Mac quickly responded to the Colonel's statement. "Excuse me Colonel O'Neill; I was under the impression that Petersen Air Force Base was your base."  
  
O'Neill briefly glanced at Carter and they both held back the smiles that threatened to cover their faces. "I apologize for the ruse Colonel MacKenzie, but it is necessary for us to maintain the aforementioned anonymity. We are actually stationed at the USAF Cheyenne Mountain complex."  
  
Harm chimed in at Colonel O'Neill's last statement, "Cheyenne Mountain.you are stationed at NORAD?"  
  
'That is correct Commander Rabb," Major Carter added. "If you will follow us we have a car waiting for us over here."  
  
Mac held up her hand and quickly interjected, "If you could give us just a moment, I need to call our CO and advise that we have arrived and about our change in final destination."  
  
As Mac reached for her cell phone, Colonel O'Neill quickly cut in, "I am sorry Colonel MacKenzie, I cannot allow you to make that call. The moment you and the Commander touched down you were designated incommunicado with anyone outside of our facility. You are not allowed any contact with the outside world until you have completed this investigation. I am going to need to confiscate any cell phones, pagers, PDA's, laptops, or other communication devices you presently have with you. Those items will be returned to you upon your departure of our facility."  
  
Harm stared at Colonel O'Neill with utter contempt. "You have got to be kidding me? You are saying that effective as of now, the outside world no longer exists to us? What the hell are you doing on that mountain Colonel that requires this level of anonymity?"  
  
O'Neill could definitely feel his blood pressure on the rise, however before he could say anything, Colonel MacKenzie took charge of the situation, "No problem Colonel O'Neill, we will be happy to turn over any and all devices you feel is necessary for our stay at your facility. We only ask that we be issued computers upon arrival so that we will be able to keep our notes somewhere while we are present."  
  
Colonel O'Neill turned his attention to the quick thinking Marine and smiled. "Not a problem Colonel MacKenzie. We will do our best to meet all of your accommodations upon arrival at the base."  
  
Mac smiled politely at the Colonel as the four officers headed for the parking lot. She had a feeling that this investigation just got a lot more interesting. Unfortunately, she was beginning to think that Harm's earlier frustrations might just bear fruit. Oh well, they were going to be deep inside of a mountain, what could go wrong there? 


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5  
  
The four officers boarded the second elevator that would take them to Level 28. Since their departure from the airport, Harm and Mac had been stunned into total silence. As the careers of both Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter were laid out in front of them, the two JAG officers had to suppress the growing feelings of unease.  
  
Considering Major Carter alone did not set off any alarms. A theoretical astrophysicist doing research into Deep Space Radar Telemetry did not present any cause for concern. In fact, it seemed like a believable, albeit extraordinary career for a theoretical astrophysicist. Unfortunately, the description of Colonel O'Neill's career had raised the red flags that were now occupying the minds of Harmon Rabb and Sarah MacKenzie. An Air Force Colonel who spent most of his life running Black Op missions didn't seem to match up well with an astrophysicist that graduated top of her class at the Air Force Academy. Unfortunately, Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter were still being vague in their responses to the specific work they were doing now.  
  
As the elevator opened up to Level 28, Commander Rabb decided to broach the silence. So, Colonel O'Neill, what would the Air Force need with a member of Special Forces deep inside a mountain?"  
  
Making his way down the halls of the underground complex, Colonel O'Neill let out a soft chuckle before turning his attention back to Rabb. "Commander, sometimes I ask myself the same question."  
  
Major Carter quickly chimed in, "Actually Commander Rabb, Colonel O'Neill's 'usefulness' will become apparent very shortly." She shot a mischievous smile at the Colonel, one that he returned when he caught the tone in her voice. Major Carter then turned her attention to the fourth member of their group. "So Colonel MacKenzie, you have been awfully quiet since we left the base. How do you feel about all of this so far?"  
  
Mac returned her gaze with a nervous smile, "I'm just waiting for the other shoe to drop, Major. Or the gauntlet."  
  
Carter returned the smile, "Colonel MacKenzie, you have no idea."  
  
Mac turned to Harm as he returned her surprised expression. Before anyone else could make a comment, Colonel O'Neill led them into another room with numerous amounts of computers and electronic equipment. To their right was a glass panel, however the blast doors were down barring their view of what was on the other side.  
  
Harm took in the surroundings with awe. "So Colonel, what is this room," he said as he swept his hand around pointing at his surroundings.  
  
The Colonel turned to face the Commander. "Actually Commander Rabb, I am going to turn the floor over to Major Carter when it comes to explaining this room. That will come later though as we first need to check in with the General. If you and Colonel MacKenzie will follow me, I will introduce you."  
  
The four officers continued their quest up the stairs and through a conference room before coming to a stop outside of the General's office. After a quick knock on the door and a booming "Enter" from inside, Colonel O'Neill led their guests into the office.  
  
Out of respect for the two star in their presence both Harm and Mac came to attention. "Lt. Colonel Sarah MacKenzie and Commander Harmon Rabb Jr. reporting as ordered Sir."  
  
"At ease," replied the General. "My name is General George Hammond and I am the commanding officer of this facility. I would like to welcome you and hope your stay with us is a pleasant one."  
  
Mac gave the General a curious look. "I'm sorry sir, am I to understand that you are the commanding officer of NORAD?"  
  
The General briefly glanced at Colonel O'Neill with a smile before turning his attention back to Colonel MacKenzie. "I apologize Colonel, I was under the impression that Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter were going to brief you about what we do here."  
  
Colonel O'Neill quickly interjected, "Well General, we were going to tell them, but we thought it would be so much more fun just showing them."  
  
"Very well," replied the General, "then I guess that leaves me to welcome you." The General picked up his phone and pressed the call button for the control room. "Sergeant, please open the blast shield to the embarkation chamber." After hanging up the phone, the General moved to the door and motioned for the JAG officers to enter the conference room. After all five officers were assembled in the conference room the General led them to the large window overlooking the gate room. As Harm and Mac stared through the window at the large, circular ring occupying the room below the General continued, "Colonel MacKenzie, Commander Rabb.welcome to Stargate Command."  
  
Everyone in the room fell silent as the JAG officers took in the sight below. Finally Colonel MacKenzie broke from her reverie and turned to the General. "Excuse me General, but is this. object the Stargate?"  
  
The General gave her a nod. "Yes it is Colonel MacKenzie."  
  
Mac thought for a moment and then continued with her questioning, "Okay, I guess my next question is, what does the Stargate do?"  
  
"Actually Colonel, I am going to let Major Carter explain that to you," the General quipped. The General turned to Major Carter and signaled for her to continue with the presentation.  
  
"Thank you General," Major Carter stated. She turned to the two guests and continued with the explanation. "To put it simply Colonel, Commander.the Stargate is a device that creates a stable wormhole between Earth and another planet somewhere within the galaxy. That planet, of course, must also have a stargate. Once the wormhole is established, a team then steps through the Stargate and emerges on the other planet several seconds later."  
  
The silence that followed was the most deafening sound in the world. Finally, Harm stepped forward to continue the questioning. "So you have actually traveled to another planet?"  
  
Colonel O'Neill jumped into the conversation, "Actually, we have been to hundreds of planets."  
  
Mac responded to his statement, "So.have you found any other life on these planets?"  
  
"Actually," responded Carter, "there has been life on almost all of the planets we have visited. In fact, most of the life we have encountered are descendants of ancient Earth that were transplanted to these other planets."  
  
"Transplanted by whom?" Harm asked.  
  
Colonel O'Neill interrupted quickly before Carter could respond, "Actually, that is a question best left for Dr. Jackson. Why don't we all have a seat around the conference table and I will call the remaining members of our team." As everyone took a seat around the table, Colonel O'Neill called down to the control room. "Hello Sergeant, could you please page Dr. Jackson and Teal'c to the conference room. Thank you."  
  
As they sat waiting for the other two members to arrive, Harm's curiosity got the better of him and he turned his attention to the Major. "While we are waiting I was wondering if I could ask you a few more questions regarding the Stargate technology itself, Major Carter." At her nod, he continued. "Specifically how does the Stargate work."  
  
Major Carter smiled at the naval officer's apparent interest. "Well, that can be answered in two ways; through physics and through actual mechanics. The specific scientific explanation is that the Stargate is a giant superconductor that generates enough energy to create a wormhole outside of our known dimensions of space and time. Because this energy needs to flow from a sort of positive to negative terminal, the wormhole connects to another stargate to complete its dispersion of energy. Once the wormhole has stabilized, matter can then safely pass through the wormhole and exit on the other end. Mechanically, which is probably the more straightforward way to describe the stargate, we enter a series on seven symbols into the dialing computer to establish a link to a specific stargate somewhere else in the galaxy. Each gate has a specific set of six symbols while the seventh symbol entered is the."  
  
"Point or origin, or departure," Harm quickly chimed in.  
  
Everyone around the table turned and stared at the Commander. "What?"  
  
"How did you know that Harm?" Asked Colonel MacKenzie.  
  
"It is basic mapping technique for a pilot. If you do not have GPS coordinates to fly to then you have to use points of interest on the ground as your guideposts. When you are try to draw that on a map before your flight you must choose several points that will intersect each other at the destination with one extra point being your point of origin. Otherwise, it is impossible to create a flight plan if you do not designate the starting point."  
  
Everyone sat in stunned silence as they took in everything that Commander Rabb had said. Finally Colonel O'Neill spoke up and said, "I guess I had never really thought of that Commander Rabb. I mean, when we first tried to activate the gate we really had no idea what its purpose was so no one ever put two and two together when it comes to mapping points. Of course, now it makes sense."  
  
As Colonel O'Neill and Commander Rabb continued their discussion, pilot to pilot, Major Carter handed out a packet of pictures with the Stargate symbols on them. As Harm opened his packet and began to scan the pictures, he noticed something very interesting. "Are these the symbols on the gate that are used to coordinate the destinations?"  
  
Major Carter answered, "Yes they are."  
  
"These look like representations of constellations. Is that what is used as the six intersecting points for the destination?"  
  
Again, Major Carter was taken aback by the Commander's ability to figure out almost what took them two years to discover. "Again Commander, yes they are." After a brief pause Major Carter's curiosity got the best of her. "Commander, if you don't mind me asking sir, how the hell did you know that just now?"  
  
Rabb met all of the stares now pointed at him. "I don't know. I just looked at the symbols and recognized several that appeared to be constellations in the night sky. From that I extrapolated that if these symbols are on the Stargate then they must have something to do with the coordinating system of the gate network. Why, was I not suppose to know that?"  
  
"Are you sure you don't have a science degree under you hat there Commander?" Asked Jack pointedly.  
  
Rabb chuckled and said, "No, I don't think so. If you don't mind, I just have one more two-part question for you Major."  
  
"Go ahead"  
  
"First, do you know how old the Stargate network is?"  
  
"We estimate the Stargates were built by an alien race as far back as 50 million years ago."  
  
The Commander contemplated her response and then responded, "Okay, if that is the case, then how is it that the Stargate system is still working today?"  
  
The Major frowned and said, "I am not sure what you mean Commander."  
  
"Well, if I understand the basic rules of physics, the universe has been expanding since the Big Bang. Therefore, objects within the universe have been drifting apart from each other for 4.5 billion years. Now if the Stargate network was built 50 million years ago wouldn't the coordinates used back then to travel from stargate to stargate be invalid considering the stellar drift of all of the objects in space? In other words, nothing would be lined up like it originally was. How do you compensate for this?"  
  
General Hammond decided it was time for him to get his two cents worth in right now. "Commander Rabb, make I ask how you are a lawyer and still seem to have a pretty extensive knowledge of astrophysics?"  
  
Harm smiled back at the General. "Would you believe me if I said I watch a lot of The Science Channel?"  
  
"Considering you don't even have a TV Harm, I would seriously doubt that." Said Mac, who had been silent through this entire exchange.  
  
Before anyone else could respond to Mac's observation, Dr. Jackson and Teal'c made their appearance in the conference room. "Jack, you wanted to see us?" stated Daniel.  
  
"Yes Daniel, I would like to introduce you to a couple of guests we have with us today. This is Lt. Colonel Sarah MacKenzie USMC and Commander Harmon Rabb Jr. U.S. Navy. They are the JAG officers that have been sent in from Washington D.C. to investigate the incident with Major Wilkins. And apparently, Commander Rabb is also bucking for Sam's job."  
  
At the Colonel's comment, both Harm and Sam blushed noticeably while the rest of the group around the table laughed at the scene playing out.  
  
It is nice to meet you Colonel MacKenzie, Commander Rabb. My name is Dr. Daniel Jackson and I am the head of the archaeological department here at Stargate Command and as well as the archaeological officer on SG-1."  
  
Mac sat up at Daniel's statement. "SG-1?"  
  
Colonel O'Neill clarified for Mac, "That is the designation given to our team. Our team consists of myself, Major Carter, Dr. Jackson, and Teal'c here," the Colonel said pointing in Teal'c' direction.  
  
Mac turned her attention to the one person who had not spoken yet and addressed him directly. "It is nice to meet you Teal'c. What is your job or area of expertise for SG-1?"  
  
Teal'c bowed his head slightly and responded to the Colonel's question. "I was once the former First Prime of the false god Apophis and am now a member of SG-1. I provide my knowledge of the Goa'uld to the Tau'ri and also advise on the military strengths and tactics of the Jaffa that serve the false gods."  
  
Mac's brow wrinkled up in a confused manner. "Okay, I think I got lost somewhere around 'First Prime.' I take it from your response, you are not from Earth?"  
  
"Your assumption would be correct Lt. Colonel MacKenzie. I am a Jaffa from the planet Chulak. I came here to Earth seven years ago to join the Tau'ri in the fight against the Goa'uld."  
  
"What exactly is a First Prime, Teal'c?"  
  
"The First Prime of any Goa'uld is the highest ranking Jaffa in service to their god. I was once the leader of all of the armies of Apophis."  
  
Harm set up and responded to Teal'c' statement. "Wow, that is quite the accomplishment for someone as young as yourself. You must have been an exceptional warrior to rise to power so quickly."  
  
"My rise to First Prime was actually a long and challenging battle that took nearly eighty five years. It took me that amount of time to prove myself to Apophis for him to choose me as his First Prime."  
  
Harm responded with a confused look, "I'm sorry, did you say 85 years?" Upon Teal'c' nod Commander Rabb came right back with another question, "If you don't mind me asking Teal'c, exactly how old are you?"  
  
"I am 104 years old."  
  
"104? How is it that you appear to be so young?"  
  
"My symbiote keeps mean healthy so that I may live for many years. Many Jaffa have been known to live for as many as 200 years."  
  
Now it was time for a confused Colonel MacKenzie to jump in here. "Excuse me for just a second. I think we are all getting wrapped up in a story that neither myself nor Commander Rabb know enough of the back story for. Things such as Goa'uld, Jaffa, symbiotes. Maybe it would be good if Dr. Jackson put this all into to context for us?"  
  
"Of course Colonel MacKenzie," Daniel quickly interjected. "I suppose it is time for a more detailed background of the alien cultures we have encountered."  
  
"Thank you Dr. Jackson."  
  
Hence, Daniel began his explanation. He started out telling the two officers of there encounter with Ra on Abydos and how he was left on the planet to live with the residents, mainly his new wife. He then told of his later return to Earth and the subsequent battles against the Goa'uld system lords Apophis, Hathor, Cronus, and many others. He also told them of the many cultures that had been encountered along the way including the Tok'Ra and the Asguard. He explained of the latest threats to Earth such as Anubis and how the war with the Goa'ulds was still being fought bravely from the front lines of the SGC. In all, it took Dr. Jackson a little more than an hour to tell his tale (with Jack keeping him on course) and when he finally wrapped up, the two officers from D.C. were left speechless. A strange quiet fell upon the room as Harm and Mac tried to comprehend everything that had been told to them. Finally, Colonel MacKenzie broke the silence.  
  
"So these.Goa'uld," Mac began. "They assume the identities of the ancient gods of Egypt and use their advanced technology to further convince their underlings they are deities?"  
  
Teal'c was the one to respond to this question. "That is correct Colonel MacKenzie."  
  
"And you yourself was in service to one of these 'gods' Teal'c?" the Colonel continued.  
  
"I did serve as the First Prime to Apophis, a very powerful system lord. Fortunately for me, I was instructed by a very wise Jaffa named Bra'tac. In his teachings to me, he was able to plant the seeds of doubt in my mind as to the truth behind the system lords. He too had been the First Prime of Apophis before me and had seen many things in his life that had convinced him that the Goa'uld were not gods. At first, I was not as accepting of his teachings, but in time I saw many atrocities carried out that made me question the true nature of the Goa'uld. However, it took meeting Colonel O'Neill and the rest of his team to finally convince me to turn against Apophis and fight for the freedom of all Jaffa throughout the galaxy. This is a battle that I believe will be won because of the efforts of the Tau'ri."  
  
Commander Rabb now responded, "The Tau'ri, meaning humans from Earth?"  
  
Teal'c nodded his head and answered, "That is correct Commander Rabb."  
  
"Well," began Colonel MacKenzie. "I guess that gives us."  
  
Her thoughts were interrupted by the Klaxons blaring loudly throughout the facility. All members of SG-1 were on their feet immediately as the voice rang out over the loud speaker, "unscheduled off world activation. General Hammond, please report to the control room."  
  
"I think we are going to need to continue this conversation later Colonel, Commander," said the General. "If you will accompany me, I will show what this is all about."  
  
The two officers gave each other a look of anxiety and followed the General into the unknown. 


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6  
  
As the group entered the control room, the General was total business. "Have we received a signal yet Sergeant?"  
  
"Negative sir"  
  
"Close the iris." General Hammond then reached for the mike. "All defense teams, stand ready."  
  
Harm and Mac were taken aback by the number of Marines and Airmen that flowed into the room in front of them. Everyone waiting quietly until the sergeant finally spoke, "Receiving IDC code sir. It's the Tok'Ra."  
  
General Hammond quickly responded. "Open the iris. All defense teams, stand down." He the turned to SG-1 and the two guests, "Lets go welcome our visitors, shall we?"  
  
The group silently made their way into the embarkation room. Harm and Mac were standing in awe of the bright shimmering pool of 'water' in front of them that they failed to see the sole traveler emerge from the gate. After a short moment, the gate disengaged and the traveler approached. Major Carter was the first to step forward and embraced her father.  
  
"Hi dad, its good to see you."  
  
"You to baby," Jacob Carter responded.  
  
All through the exchange of greetings, Harm and Mac had hung back behind the members of SG-1 not wanting to interrupt this private reunion. It wasn't until General Hammond called for them did they step forward.  
  
"Jacob, we have a couple of guests I would like to introduce you to. Colonel MacKenzie, Commander Rabb, let me introduce you to General Jacob Carter USAF, and now of the Tok'Ra."  
  
As the two officers stepped forward for the introductions, no one could have expected what happened next.  
  
"Uncle Matt?" Mac stated with a confused look on her face.  
  
"Sarah! What are you doing here?" responded Jacob.  
  
"I believe I asked you first. And why the hell are they calling you Jacob Carter?"  
  
O'Neill and Sam exchanged confused looks.  
  
Jack stepped forward, "Uh, I take it you two know each other?"  
  
Colonel MacKenzie was the first to respond. "Of course we know each other. This is my uncle, Colonel Matthew O'Hara USMC."  
  
Now it was time for Sam to step in, "I beg to differ Colonel MacKenzie. This is my father, General Jacob Carter USAF retired. He is now a member of the Tok'Ra."  
  
Both ladies turned to face Jacob/Matt for an explanation of what was going on here.  
  
"Well," started Jacob. "I guess I have a lot of explaining to do. And to answer your questions, yes I am General Jacob Carter and I am also Colonel Matthew O'Hara. And before either one of you kill me, how about we move this to the conference room for a little more privacy."  
  
Both ladies nodded silently and the group proceeded back to the conference room to hear this story. Once everyone had assumed their seats, Jacob began his explanation.  
  
"Okay, to start this off simply, I came into this world as Matthew O'Hara. I had a younger sister, Deanne. Deanne, of course, is your mother, Sarah. When I was 18 years old I joined the marines. My superiors quickly realized I was great for black ops work. The problem was that sometimes my services were needed as more than just a Marine. I was given equal rank in the Air Force as well as a new identity. Hence, the introduction of Jacob Carter. Now normally, to become an officer in the military requires a college degree. I was granted special dispensation however and was made an officer before I completed the said degree. I then rose through the ranks and eventually settled into my life as Jacob Carter. There were just more opportunities for me in the intelligence world as an Air Force officer than there were as a Marine. Not to mention the fact that I had met your mother by then, Samantha, and she had only ever known me as Jacob Carter. Therefore, the life of Matt O'Hara was pushed to the side for the most part. Of course, when I visited you Sarah, I reassumed the role, but for all intents and purposes, I was now Jacob Carter."  
  
Harm quickly jumped in here. "Excuse me for interrupting Colo.I mean General, but how is it you were able to get out of Leavenworth. As far as I know you are still suppose to be there."  
  
Jacob smiled at Harm knowing that Sarah was thinking the same thing. "The truth is Commander Rabb, I was on a mission for the CIA. At the time, they had thought I went rogue and that is why they sent you and Sarah to retrieve me. After I returned to headquarters and was questioned by Webb, it was realized that I had never gone rogue and the agency returned me to active status. Of course, by then I was not really up to the job anymore. It was about this same time that I found I had cancer and didn't have much time to live. I wanted to live out my days in peace. So I returned to my life as Jacob Carter and moved to Colorado Springs to.well, to die. I figured that I would let the ruse of Matt O'Hara continue and when Jacob Carter died, so would Matt O'Hara, albeit unexpectedly. I really never meant to hurt you Samantha, or you Sarah, but there was no conceivable way to bring the two personifications together without spending the rest of my days trying to explain the truth. I figured I would die and leave each of you with a memory to live on with. Of course, then Sam came to me with an offer to live on and I decided it was too good to pass up. And here we are all are."  
  
The silence in the room stretched on. No one knew for sure what to say and therefore opted to just not say anything. Mac was doing her best to keep her tears at bay from the ultimate betrayal she felt and Sam was just trying to wrap her head around another twist to her family history. Finally, being the voice of reason, Harm decided to take charge of the situation as best as possible.  
  
"Uh, I think maybe we should all leave General Carter, Sam, and Mac alone for a few minutes. I think it goes without saying that they have a lot to talk about."  
  
Everyone quietly nodded their agreement and quickly vacated the conference room in lieu of what was probably going to be the biggest family brawl in history. Once they were all alone, Jacob took his place at the head of the table and let out a long sigh. He really did not have any idea on how he was going to fix this. It was strange, when it came to Sam, he had hurt her badly over the years and only in the recent few had he been able to recover some semblance of family. Now he had to wonder if the past 20 minutes had ruined that. On the other hand, Sarah never really saw any of her uncle's faults, except for maybe the Declaration of Independence incident. And even that had a reasonable explanation to restore his marred relationship with his niece. Now he wasn't so sure there was anything he could say or do to reasonably explain this all to her. One look in those deep brown eyes of Sarah MacKenzie told him she was devastated. 'Oh well Jacob, you screwed this up, now you have to fix it.'  
  
"I know that right now both of you are very upset with me and I am not going to offer any excuse for my behavior. I will say this though; Sam, I love you and your brother very much and I loved your mother more than anything in this world. I had to keep this a secret, at first for the job, and later because it was a lie so engrained in my psyche that it was like the truth to me. I was Jacob Carter and I was also Matt O'Hara. And Sarah, I love you so much and would have done everything I could to be there for you just like I was in Arizona all of those years ago. You are my niece and I will always be there for you sweetheart."  
  
Mac was the first to respond. "You son of a bitch. In all of my life there are only two people I have ever been able to trust when my life turns to shit and you were one of them for the longest time. Now there is only one person left in my life that I can truly say that I trust without question; and you, Uncle Matt, or should I say Uncle Jacob, are no longer that person!" By now Mac was nearly in tears. Sam watched on quietly, her heart going out to this woman whose heart was breaking right here in this room.  
  
Jacob tried to respond, "Sarah, honey."  
  
"Don't you honey me you bastard! You know the worst part of all of this? Remember back in Arizona, when I was getting dried out? Do you remember what I told you then? I said that all I ever really wanted was a family that would love me and one where there was no hitting and drinking and leaving. I just wanted someone that loved me unconditionally, not like that asshole Joe MacKenzie who loved to refer to me as his little whore daughter. And not like that coward of a sister of yours who walked out and left a 15 year old girl in the hands of an abusive drunk. All I wanted was a family who loved me. And now I find out that I have a family. A family that would have probably loved me and you kept them from me. You know, Joe MacKenzie may have abused me emotionally and Deanne may have left me in his hands, but you Matt O'Hara, or Jacob Carter, or whoever the hell you are; you are worse than them. You are a liar. You took the trust I placed in you and you destroyed it. I hope you're happy. I will never forgive you for this; never." In tears, Mac left the room leaving a stunned Jacob Carter and a very puzzled Samantha Carter to sit and stare at each other. For what seemed like hours, but was most likely only a few minutes, the silence drug on. Finally Jacob turned slowly to his daughter.  
  
"I guess I should expect the same hatred from you right now too, huh?"  
  
Sam met his eyes and said quietly, "I don't hate you Dad but I do think you have screwed up. I won't pretend to know what relationship you have with Colonel MacKenzie.I guess I can call her Sarah since she is my cousin, huh? Anyway, I won't even fathom a guess at how much she idolizes you, but I will say that you have a lot of work to do to rebuild that relationship with her."  
  
"I don't think so Sam. I think Sarah made it abundantly clear how she feels about me."  
  
Sam shook her head, "No Dad, I don't think you know what she is thinking right now. I think right now she is understandably upset at you and maybe you did just get knocked down a few levels in her eyes. But if you go to her and just let her know you love her and apologize for being an ass, well, I think she will forgive you even though she claimed otherwise. Dad, you have to give her some time to get her emotions under control and then face her. Just don't make excuses because in all honesty, there are none."  
  
Jacob let a small smile slip through as he looked at his daughter. "Maybe I am looking a gift horse in the mouth here, but you don't seem as upset."  
  
"Oh, I'm pissed, but I don't hate you. Truth be told Dad, I can't really talk. I mean, look at my life. I am as screwed up as you. Hell, my brother doesn't even know what I do every day. The degree of your lie is bigger, but mine is no less hurtful. Let's just say, I understand."  
  
"Thank you sweetie."  
  
"Don't think I am letting you off that easy. You still owe me and I will collect. But for right now, you need to check on Colo.Sarah."  
  
Jacob Carter rose from his chair and engulfed his daughter in a hug. "Thank you for your support here Sam. I will do what I can to help Sarah through this."  
  
"Your welcome Dad. Now I think you need to give Colonel MacKenzie some time to collect her thoughts and emotions. In the meantime, why don't you join me and the rest of the team in the commissary for lunch?"  
  
"Sounds like a plan." The two Carters turned to leave as Jacob continued their normal banter, "So Sammie, how's Jack?"  
  
"Oh God, Dad please don't start."  
  
"What?" 


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7  
  
The knock at the door brought Mac from her stupor. She quickly began to wipe the tears from her eyes and gain some level of control. Finally she gave up on this and called to her 'guest' with a ragged "Enter."  
  
As she turned to see who was coming to call, her heart skipped a beat when she saw that it was Harm. She had hoped that he would be there for her, because as she had just told her uncle, there were only two people in this world that she completely trusted. Right now Harm was the only one that qualified.  
  
Harm slowly approached her with what could best be described as general caring in his eyes. In a quiet voice Harm said, "Are you okay Sarah"  
  
The use of her name, her real name, was all it took for the dam to burst open again and she fell into Harm's arms and sobbed. As she cried out the last remaining tears she had, Harm held her close and softly stroked her hair. As the sobs racked her body, Harm kept repeating softly in her ear, "I'm here honey, it will be okay..."  
  
After ten minutes of the heart wrenching sobs, Mac finally began to calm down and slowly pulled away from Harm's embrace. She didn't really want to leave the comfort of his warm body, but she thought it best to try and gain some level of professionalism; and in Harm's embrace, that was impossible to do. She slowly turned and made her way across the room trying to get her emotions back under control. Finally, as her breathing returned to normal, she spoke for the first time. "I feel so stupid Harm. Here I am, a Marine, and I am bawling my eyes out. I must look like a great example to all of the soldiers here, huh?"  
  
"Mac, the only people who truly saw you react were those in the conference room and I think they completely understand your reaction to this. You were hit with some very..disturbing..news today and no one will think any less of you because it was overwhelming. If you hadn't reacted the way you did, then people would have thought there was something wrong with you."  
  
"Oh Harm," Mac said, as she turned back to face him. "What have I done? I told him that I would never forgive him and that I don't trust him anymore. I have just destroyed my relationship with one of the two people that mean the most to me in this world."  
  
"Mac, now I know that is not true. Matt..I mean Jacob..okay, quick question, what are we calling him?"  
  
A small giggle escaped Mac as she could tell that Harm was trying to lighten the mood in the room. "Since everyone here calls Jacob, maybe we should to? So as to make it less confusing that is."  
  
"Okay then, what I was going to say is that Jacob knows you are very upset right now and understands that you may say things in the heat of the battle that cannot be taken to heart. You are allowed to be angry here Mac. You are not the one who needs to be apologizing, he is. Just promise me that you will listen to what he has to say when he comes to see you and not continue to push him away. I know you love your uncle and you two will work this out. Okay Marine?"  
  
"Yes Sir," Mac said as she fired off a mock salute. "Harm..thank you. I mean, I am acting like a baby right now and I just want to thank you for being here and for not making fun of me."  
  
"Mac, I would never make fun of you. You can kick my ass."  
  
At this, Mac fell into a hearty laugh. "You got that right Squid and don't you forget it. Hey wait a minute, I thought I told you not to talk unless I said you could? Did you disobey a direct order?"  
  
Harm looked at Mac's face in surprise and then realized she was yanking his chain. 'Well, if she is in the mood to joke, then by all means..' "Well then, Colonel, I guess you are going to have to punish me," Harm said as his eyebrows hitched up and a smile slowly spread across his face.  
  
Mac saw his deliberate tactic of trying to cheer her up and decided this time to play along. "Punish you huh?" she said as she slowly crossed the room towards Harm. "And what kind of punishment do you think you deserve?"  
  
Harm's smile kept growing and he slowly backed against the wall. "I don't know for sure, ma'am, but I think it should be painful."  
  
"Really? And here I though this would do.." As she made the last statement she was standing directly in front of the Commander and her lips slowly descended upon his. She kissed him very gently at first, prodding with her tongue for him to allow access to his mouth. Harm, being the gentleman, was more than happy to open his mouth and allow access. As he did, Mac decided that he hadn't suffered quite enough yet and, without drawing blood but still hard enough to hurt, bit his lower lip.  
  
Harm pulled back quick from the lip lock and gave her a shocked look. "What the hell? You bit my freakin' lip."  
  
"Consider yourself punished Commander." Mac gave him a devilish smile. "So do we need another lesson or is one enough?"  
  
"No Colonel, I think one will do just fine."  
  
Mac sighed, "Pity, and here I was planning on biting you somewhere else. Oh well," she said softly as she ran her ran across his chest, "I guess that's your loss." At this she quickly opened the door leaving a stunned Commander Rabb in her wake.  
  
Finally all sense returned to him and he followed her from the room, "Wait Colonel, maybe one more lesson is necessary. Colonel, wait up.."  
  
*********** Meanwhile, in the commissary..  
  
Jacob and Sam had joined the rest of SG-1 and General Hammond at their 'usual' table and ordered up some of that coffee that you could only get here in Earth. No one really wanted to venture into what had happened in the conference room earlier so conversation was kept light. Finally, Jack decided it was time to get down to business.  
  
"So Jacob," Jack stated. "What is with the unscheduled visit? Tok'Ra need our help again?"  
  
"You know Jack, sometimes the Tok'Ra can do things on their own without the help of you guys."  
  
Everyone at the table exchanged a quick look before Jack responded, "Really, since when?"  
  
Jacob rolled his eyes and retorted, "Ha Ha, very funny Jack. Actually, I just came to see my daughter. It has been a while and I missed her and her brother. Is that okay with you?"  
  
O'Neill smiled and said, "Oh, I guess so Jake. And please tell Selmac I was just kidding before. We all like you and Selmac. We would never think you were coming here to send us on another one of your crazy ass missions."  
  
"Thanks Jack, your all heart."  
  
"No problem."  
  
The conversation halted abruptly as the two JAG officers made there way into the room and over to the table. Colonel MacKenzie was the first to speak.  
  
"General Hammond, I would like to apologize for my earlier behavior. I should not have let my emotions get the better of me like that. I just hope this incident does not lower your assessment of me or Commander Rabb in a professional capacity."  
  
General Hammond rose from his chair and smiled softly at the staunch Marine in front of him. "Not at all Colonel. I think, under the circumstances, you handled yourself very well." He leaned in closer and whispered for only her to hear, "Personally, I would have kicked his butt from here to China, so I applaud your restraint."  
  
At this, Mac let out a soft giggle and nodded her silent thanks.  
  
General Hammond turned back to the table and bid his farewell. After his departure, a silence fell upon the table. Finally Harm stepped forward and took charge of the situation. "So Major Carter, I would be interested in hearing some more about Stargate technology and anything else that you could share with me. Is it possible I could receive a personal tour?"  
  
Catching the hint Sam rose from her chair, "Of course Commander Rabb, I would be happy to show you around."  
  
An immediate scowl crossed the face of Colonel O'Neill and he quickly invited himself to join the 'tour.' Both Teal'c and Daniel rose to depart also so as to give Colonel MacKenzie and General Carter some time alone. As everyone was departing, Harm stopped and turned back to Mac with a slight grin on his face. Under his breath he asked, "Would it be okay with the Colonel if I go on this tour and maybe even talk to some people while I am gone?"  
  
Mac met his eyes and smiled at him. "Oh..I guess I will allow it this time. Just don't embarrass me Commander Rabb."  
  
"Yes Ma'am," Harm said as he fired off a mock salute. As he turned to leave Mac grabbed his arm and he turned back to her.  
  
"Harm," she looked deep in his eyes. "Thank you again for earlier. Your presence is very..comforting. I'm glad you're here.  
  
"Anytime Mac, anytime. I will see you later okay?"  
  
As she nodded her head he bid farewell to her and Jacob and left the room. Mac turned back to her uncle and slowly slid into a seat across from him. She looked up slowly and in his eyes she could see the sadness he felt for what he had done to her. She decided it was time to put it all behind them and move on.  
  
"Listen Sarah.." Jacob began before Mac interrupted him.  
  
"No Uncle Ma..I mean Uncle Jacob, let me go first. I just wanted to say that the things I said to you earlier, well, I regret saying some of those things to you. I do love you very much and..well, it doesn't matter what name you go by now or what you went by in the past. What matters is that you are the same person who helped me in Arizona and for that I will always be grateful. Maybe you aren't the exact same person I knew back then, but your essence is still the same. You are still the kind hearted man I knew back then and that will never change. And truth be told, I am kind of warming to this idea of Jacob Carter. I mean, with Matt O'Hara, I had a lonely bachelor for an uncle. Now with Uncle Jacob, I get an immediate, albeit late blooming, family. I really look forward to getting to know Sam and..what is your son's name?"  
  
Jacob smiled at the resilient Marine across from him. He should have known she would pull through this, especially with the help of that sailor of hers. "His name is Mark. He is married and has two beautiful children."  
  
Mac smiled at this, "You mean I have more cousins?"  
  
Jacob's laughter filled the commissary. "Yes you have more cousins. Although, before you head for San Diego to see them, we are going to need to work out a cover story for it all."  
  
"I understand. I think it would be smart for me to get to know Sam first and then I will move onto Mark and his family."  
  
"That is probably a wise choice," Jacob replied. A few moments drifted by before Jacob finally spoke again. "Look Sarah, I know that you and I have a ways to go before I can restore that trust you had in me. Believe me, I am truly sorry for hurting you and if I could go back and change it, I probably would. I just want you to know that I always loved you kiddo and that I only wanted what was best for you."  
  
Mac sighed and then a smile slowly grew on her face. "I know Uncle Jake. It just hit me kinda hard in the conference room earlier. But now that I have had a chance to get use to the idea and Harm is there to help me if I need it. Of course, I am still pissed and I will be exacting my revenge in some way."  
  
Jacob laughed again and said, "You know, Sammie said the same thing. I don't know how I feel about revenge hanging over my head from the both of you."  
  
"Well get used to it bucko. I am sure if she and I sit down and talk it out, we will think of something sufficient enough to get you back."  
  
"Oh dear Lord," Jacob said as he turned his eyes upwards. "Please protect me from the wrath of my daughter and my niece."  
  
Mac laughed at this and then looked up at her Uncle. "Uncle Jacob, I know this probably sounds kind of childish but..could I have a hug?"  
  
Jacob rose from his chair and opened his arms. "Get in here Sarah bear."  
  
Mac launched herself into his arms and fought hard to keep the tears at bay. She succeeded for the most part as only one or two escaped down her cheek. After a few minutes she pulled back and looked up into the eyes of her uncle with a smile on her face. "It is so good to see you again. There are so many questions I have for you; I just don't know where to start."  
  
"All in good time Sarah, all in good time. I think right now we need to go find that sailor of yours so he doesn't worry. Speaking of your sailor, things seem to be going well between the two of you."  
  
Mac rolled her eyes, "Uncle Jake, give it a rest. Harm and I are just good friends. Best friends."  
  
"Yeah right, I may be old but I ain't stupid. Even Selmac can see the love between you two."  
  
Mac stared at her uncle in confusion. "Who is Selmac and what does he..or she..have to do with anything."  
  
Jacob sighed as he realized he had let the cat out of the bag. "Oh boy, I think we had better sit back down for a minute."  
  
Mac took her seat, as did Jacob, and he began his explanation. "So how much did General Hammond and the others tell you about what they do here?"  
  
"They told us about traveling to other worlds and meeting other alien cultures. It sounds pretty fascinating to me."  
  
Jacob nodded, "Did they tell you about the Tok'Ra?"  
  
"Yes, they said that the Tok'Ra were a species of reptilian like creatures that inhabited the bodies of willing human hosts and lived a truly symbiotic life with said hosts."  
  
"That's right. Well, to make a long story short, I was diagnosed with cancer about ten years ago and was all set to die about eight years ago from that cancer. Sam and General Hammond came to me at that time when I was only a few days from dying and made me an offer that, in the long run and after much consideration, I could not refuse. I joined with one of the Tok'Ra. In exchange for providing a vessel for it to live out its life, I was cured of the cancer and all other health problems I had. I am now a member of the Tok'Ra and liaison to Earth. I guess you could call me the Tok'Ra ambassador to Earth."  
  
Mac stared across the table at her uncle as she tried to swallow what she had been told. Finally her curiosity got the better of her. "So, one of these alien beings is living inside of you?"  
  
"Yes she is"  
  
"She?" Mac's eyes widened in surprise. "It is a female?"  
  
Jacob laughed. "Well, not in the sense that you and I would think of a female. The truth is that the symbiotes themselves are genderless. They produce offspring by asexual means. The reason I call Selmac a she is because, prior to me, she had only been in female hosts. Therefore she carries the memories of all of these hosts. The relationship between Selmac and myself is very unique because she has all of my knowledge and memories and I have all of hers, including the remnants of her previous hosts. Therefore, to me, she is a she. Kinda strange huh?"  
  
"I'd say. So how does a tough man like yourself handle having a woman in your head all day?" Sarah said with a smirk.  
  
"Several women mind you, and I must say it has been quite a liberating experience. Selmac keeps me in line though when my male bravado tries to poke through. Speaking of Selmac, would you like to talk to her; she is most interested in talking to you?"  
  
"Talk to her?" Mac exclaimed. "What, like some sort of telepathy?"  
  
"No, nothing like that. I will allow Selmac to take control of my body and she will talk to you through me."  
  
"Oh, okay," Mac nodded nervously. "How will I know it is her I am speaking to and not you?"  
  
Jacob smiled, "Oh trust me, you'll know. Just don't be frightened okay. It is a little alarming to see at first but I assure you it is normal."  
  
As Mac nodded her affirmation Jacob lowered his head and a few seconds passed quietly. Finally he raised his head and spoke in the deep melodic voice of Selmac, "Hello Sarah, it is good to finally meet you. Jacob has spoken of you often and I can see you are the wonderful soldier he always said you were."  
  
Mac jumped at the strange voice but did not turn away or rise from her chair. She tried to speak but could think of nothing to say.  
  
Selmac noticed her wariness and decided to try and put her mind at ease. "It is okay my child; you do not need to be afraid. I know this is all quite disconcerting but I can assure you that Jacob is perfectly safe. He is just allowing me to control his bodies' actions at the moment. I was just so excited to meet the niece that he has such wonderful memories of..I hope you do not consider me as being too forward."  
  
Mac finally spoke, "No not at all. I guess I was just surprised, even with the warning. Please do not take my actions as offensive. It is very nice to meet you also."  
  
"Oh dear, you don't have to be so formal with me, and I can assure you that I am not offended. If what you said was enough to offend me than it is likely I would have beaten the living hell out of Colonel O'Neill years ago."  
  
At this both 'ladies' laughed. "Colonel O'Neill is pretty quick with the snide remarks isn't he?" Mac asked.  
  
"I believe the word you on Earth have for him is..smartass, is this correct?"  
  
"Probably a fair assessment, but then I only just met the Colonel today."  
  
Selmac pondered this thought for a moment and then responded, "Jacob tells me that the term smartass is a dead ringer."  
  
Mac raised her eyebrow in curiosity, "So you can talk to Uncle Jacob right now?"  
  
"Oh yes, in fact we carry on conversations all the time. Jacob has become my closest friend and confidant in the past eight years, and not just because he is my host. He provides me with a level of comfort and contentment that I never really thought would be possible."  
  
Mac smiled at this and replied, "I know the feeling."  
  
"Yes, I noticed how you stared at you partner, Commander Rabb. You two really do make a lovely couple my dear. I can see how deeply you love him and he you in return."  
  
Mac rolled her eyes, "I can see my uncle has been rubbing off on you Selmac. Harm and I are best friends, that is all."  
  
Selmac looked at Mac for a moment with a curious look and then said, "Jacob told me to tell you, and I quote, 'Denial is not just a river in Egypt anymore, is it?' I do not think he believes your argument Sarah."  
  
"Okay, okay, let's drop this conversation about my love life, or lack thereof, please. I think we should find the rest of the group. I believe it is time for Harm and I to get this investigation started. Could I talk to my uncle again Selmac?"  
  
"Of course my dear." Selmac lowered her head and moments later a grinning Jacob Carter was back in control. "Hello Sarah bear, miss me?"  
  
"You are seriously gonna pay for that 'she loves Harm' crap," Mac scoffed at her uncle.  
  
"What, what did I say?"  
  
"Uh huh, let's get out of here before I decide to exact my revenge right here in the commissary. Jello in the face would not be a pretty sight right now."  
  
Jacob held his hands up in mock surrender, "Okay, I give. I will not make any inappropriate remarks regarding you and your sailor from here on out."  
  
As the two left the room, Mac turned to her uncle, "You better not buster." 


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8  
  
The 'personal' tour had stalled out in Major Carter's lab. Harm had been very inquisitive of the work that Sam was doing at the SGC and she was more than happy to share her knowledge and experiences with him. Throughout the conversation, Harm would jump in with a question about this or that, again catching everyone off guard. To say that everyone was surprised by the lawyer's apparent, in-depth background of science would be an understatement. This is where Jacob and Mac found SG-1 and Harm.  
  
"So Harm, tell me, how is it you know so much about what I am talking about here?" asked Sam.  
  
Before he could answer, Mac interrupted from the doorway. "Yeah Flyboy, what gives? I mean, I have known you for 8 years and never have I seen you take an interest in science, much less to the degree needed to fit in here. This isn't your typical scientific knowledge, now is it?"  
  
Harm smiled at her question and responded with a smirk, "Well, I guess you don't know everything there is to know about me, do ya Jarhead?"  
  
"Nice deflection Harm, but it isn't going to work this time. How is it you know so much about this stuff? I mean you are asking questions and inserting bits of knowledge that no one without a working knowledge of physics should be able to ask. So again I say, what gives Flyboy?"  
  
Harm knew there was no way he was getting out of this one. He would have to answer her questions or face the wrath of Sarah MacKenzie for a long time to come. "Okay fine, I will tell you, but if I do you have to promise not to laugh at me Mac. There is a reason why I haven't shared this with you or anyone else for that matter."  
  
"I promise I will not laugh at you Harm."  
  
"Okay, well here it goes. As I mentioned earlier today to Major Carter and Colonel O'Neill, I had a ramp strike back in 1991. The unfortunate result of that ramp strike was that I was laid up in bed for about three months. Needless to say, I had a lot of free time on my hands. So, when I wasn't going through bits of depression because of the loss of my flying career, I was reading. A lot. And one of the things I was reading was a bunch of old astronomy books my grandmother had lying around the house. Apparently my grandfather and father were both big astronomy buffs so there was a lot of material around the house to read. At first, it was a way to pass the time, but over time I found the information and the mythological stories associated with stars and constellations very interesting. My father also had a telescope in the attic that my grandmother brought down for me. She set it up for me outside and whenever I could venture out, I would spend hours just searching the sky and absorbing everything I could. I really think it was one of the things that helped me to recover. I just looked up at the sky and it made me realize that my problems weren't all that bad. I mean, we are just this little tiny planet in a distant corner of this galaxy and I am just one person on this planet. It made me realize in the grand scheme that my problems were small compared to those of others. Once I was done recovering and had returned home, I had a decision to make. This was about the time I decided that I wanted to stay with the Navy. I figured I had two choices. I could go law or I could go astronomy, or astrophysics. I decided that law was the better choice because it would move me away from flying. I knew with a degree in astronomy, I would have dreams of becoming an astronaut or something and that was not an issue I wanted to deal with. So I went to law school. Anyway, to fast forward a little here, I still had a great interest in science so when I had a chance I took a few science courses at night or during the summers when I could squeeze them in. Eventually, I got my Bachelor's degree in astrophysics. To be honest, I didn't even know I was so close to a degree. The professor's at the university kept recommending classes to me so I kept signing up. The next thing I know, I had a degree. And there is my story."  
  
Mac stared at Harm with a look of disbelief. "You mean to tell me that you have a Bachelor's degree in astrophysics?"  
  
"Yes I do. I also have a Master's degree in Astronautical Engineering in addition to the Bachelor's degree I received at the Academy for Aeronautical Engineering. It seemed like the logical thing to do, just combine the efforts of my two Bachelor's degrees and get a second advanced degree to go with the Law degree."  
  
"I can't believe this Harm. Why didn't you ever tell me?"  
  
Harm smiled and said quietly, "You never asked."  
  
Now Mac was mad. "I never asked? You have got to be kidding me, I had no idea I should be asking. I mean, I have been to your home and worked with you for eight years and I have never seen a sign of anything that would tip me off to this. How was I supposed to know to ask? And for that matter, why is it you felt you needed to keep this from me?"  
  
Harm could tell by her voice that she was starting to get just a little perturbed and decided to diffuse the situation as quickly as possible. "Mac, Sarah, the reason I never said anything is because I thought you all would make fun of me. I mean, here I am a big bad ass pilot and then you would find out I am just some science geek. No offense Major Carter.."  
  
"None taken." Sam quickly chimed in.  
  
Harm continued, "The truth is that I didn't want your perceptions of me to change. Therefore I didn't share this revelation with anyone. Not even my mother or grandmother knows about this. It has been my secret all of these years. I guess that is no more."  
  
To say that Mac was surprised would be an understatement. On the verge of a heart attack would have been a better description of her at that moment. Eventually she found her voice and responded to Harm's revelation. "Harm, I am not really sure what to say here. I mean, I am proud of you for all you have accomplished and I can guarantee you that I won't make fun of you..much. Just kidding. I guess that I am just shocked. I mean, you never seemed like the type of person who would like this kind of stuff and so it just took me by surprise. And I promise you I will keep your secret for you. But I do expect a more detailed explanation later. For now, I think we need to focus on what we came here for. Personally, I don't think I can handle anymore 'surprises' today."  
  
Harm let out the breathe he had been holding and said a silent prayer for the reprieve that seemed to come his way. "I agree Colonel MacKenzie, I think it is time we put this all behind us and begin this investigation." Turning to Colonel O'Neill he changed the subject as quickly as possible, "Colonel O'Neill, I think it would be best if we interviewed Major Wilkins at this time."  
  
O'Neill had been taking in all of this information quietly from the corner. For a few minutes there when Rabb was laying out the charms on Carter and then when Colonel MacKenzie entered, he was sure no one knew he was there. Of course, reality had a way of rearing her ugly head and the reasons for these JAG Officers' presence was front and center once again. "No problem Commander Rabb. If the two of you will follow me and Major Carter we will be glad to show you to Major Wilkin's quarters."  
  
Colonel MacKenzie was back to her professional mode, "Thank you Colonel O'Neill."  
  
As the group of officers made there way down the hallway, Mac was watching Harm out the side of her eye. She could not believe she never knew this about him. Even though their friendship had taken a few hits in recent years, she was certain that there was no one in this world she was closer to, including her Uncle Matt, err Uncle Jake that is. To find out all of a sudden that there was a BIG part of Harm's life she was completely unaware of was sort of disconcerting. Okay, to be truthful, it was extremely disconcerting. She decided that she needed to get a little more information from Harm about all of this to put her mind at ease. She slid a little closer to him as they waited for the elevator to arrive at their level. Very quietly she whispered to him, "So Harm, is there anything else I should know about you?"  
  
Harm looked at her sheepishly as he thought how to respond to her question. Finally he decided to get all of the big surprises out there now so as not to have to face her tirade again. "Uh, well there is one other teensy tiny thing."  
  
"I'm almost afraid to ask. Does this have to do with the secretive Astrophysics Degree?"  
  
Harm grinned, knees shaking ever so slightly, "Would you kill me if I said yes?  
  
Mac rolled her eyes and let out a long breathe, "No Harm, I am not going to kill you. At this point, I don't think you could tell me anything that would shock me anymore that I already am."  
  
Harm took a half step back, "Hehe, don't be to sure. What I didn't mention earlier is that the Master's Degree is not the end of it. I have been working on my Doctoral Dissertation for about a year and a half now. I figure about another year, and with the committee's approval, I will have my Ph.D. in Astronautical Engineering."  
  
Mac's mouth hung wide open. Okay, so maybe there was something else that might shock her. "You mean to tell me that you are going to be Doctor Harmon Rabb Jr.?"  
  
Harm scrunched up his face and hissed back, "Ewww, see when you say it like that it just sounds dirty."  
  
Mac had to laugh at that response. "Sorry, I guess I am just surprised is all. I mean Harm, yesterday you were a damn jet jockey at best and now I find out you actually have a brain."  
  
"Thanks a lot, friend." Harm said with an insulted tone in his voice.  
  
Mac reached for his arm, "I am just kidding Harm. I have always known you were an intelligent guy, I just didn't realize how intelligent. I guess we all learned something new here today."  
  
Harm had to frown at that last comment because he knew deep in his heart she was setting him up for a major sarcastic remark. If he stayed quiet and didn't respond, he would save himself the anguish of having to listen to her ribbing. Of course, Sarah MacKenzie knew him way too well. It would drive him insane to let a comment like that fly by unanswered. No matter how long he held out, she would wait patiently till he took the bait. 'Oh well, I guess I will get it out of the way now.' "And what exactly have I learned here Mac?"  
  
"That I will be making fun of you for at least the next six months, Mr. Pocket Protector." She had to stifle a giggle as Harm fell for her trap. Granted, he probably saw it coming from a mile away, but that didn't make it any less satisfying.  
  
"Hey, just for that see if I ever buy you another Beltway Burger ever again. And by the way, I will have you know that some of the stuff in my dissertation has already been used. So there."  
  
About this time the elevator doors opened and the four officers left its confines and made there way down the hall. Continuing with there conversation, Mac let her curiosity get the better of her, "What kind of stuff Harm?"  
  
"Oh nothing to mind boggling. Just some ideas I had for enhancing structural integrity to space faring craft. I don't know the specifics except that it was used on some project called Prometheus. To be honest, Major Carter could probably tell you more than me seeing as how this project is handled by the Air Force."  
  
"Well, since you brought it up, why don't you ask her?"  
  
Harm shook his head, "Because you're the one who wanted to know, not me."  
  
Mac rolled her eyes and spoke to the Major, "Major Carter, have you ever heard of a project ran by the Air Force called the Prometheus Project?" The two Air Force officers stopped abruptly causing Harm and Mac to nearly crash into them.  
  
Carter was the one to respond with just a little concern in her voice, "Where did you hear that name Colonel MacKenzie? I don't think anyone ever briefed you on that since you have been here?"  
  
Mac flushed as she stammered over her response, "Uh, no, you're right, we haven't been briefed on it. Harm was just telling me that some of the data from the dissertation he is currently working on was being used by the Air Force in a project called Prometheus."  
  
Now it was O'Neill's turn to respond, "And how is it you know of this project Commander Rabb?"  
  
Harm gave Mac a 'Thanks a lot' look before answering Colonel O'Neill, "I pulled up the name of the project when I was with the CIA. I was doing a search of my name and found that part of the technical data I had included in a previous rough draft of my dissertation was being used for a project called Prometheus. I wasn't able to find any other information except for the fact that it was being done by the Air Force. I just figured they were using the data for some new air craft or something in Skunk Works. Why, is it something to do with what you do here?"  
  
Carter turned to O'Neill and gave him a questioning look. O'Neill pondered her silent request for a moment and then nodded his permission. Carter turned to the two JAG officers, "Actually Commander Rabb, I am the chief scientist involved in the Prometheus Project. The Prometheus, or more precisely the X-303, is a brand new space faring vehicle capable of reaching speeds much greater than the speed of light. The technology used for the X-303 is a combination of Earth and alien technology. If some of your data was used for the design of the Prometheus then I would very much like to talk to you about it."  
  
Harm was practically beaming now. "Sure, whenever you want to talk about.."  
  
"Not right now Commander Rabb, Major Carter," interrupted Colonel O'Neill. This Commander Rabb was really starting to piss him off just a little. "Colonel MacKenzie and Commander Rabb are here to do a job. I think it is best if we let them get to it."  
  
Feeling slightly chastised by the Colonel's remarks Sam was the first to respond, "Understood sir. I guess Commander Rabb and I can continue this conversation later. If you will all excuse me I have a few things to finish in my lab." Giving a polite goodbye to Mac and Harm and a not too subtle viscous glare at O'Neill, Carter quickly made her way down the hall towards the elevators.  
  
'Damn, I am going to pay for that later,' thought Colonel O'Neill. 'Oh well, I guess I will let her simmer down a little and then go apologize and beg for mercy.' Turning back to the JAG attorneys who were finding a lot of interest in the walls at this moment, O'Neill decided to break the awkward silence, "Well then, I think I will leave you two here. The Major's quarters are just around this corner. Just show your I.D.'s to the guard and he will let you in. If there is anything else you need, please feel free to ask."  
  
Both lawyers bid their farewell to the Colonel and waited quietly for him to disappear around the corner. After he was gone Mac leaned in and whispered to Harm in a conspiratory voice, "I don't think he like you very well Harm."  
  
Harm turned and looked at her with a surprised expression, "What the hell did I do to him? I have been nothing but cordial to him since we met."  
  
"My guess is he is feeling slightly territorial right now. I mean you come in here with your pilot's wings to match his and your very colorful service record; not to mention the near Ph.D in Astronautical Engineering. My guess is he feels threatened by your presence."  
  
Now Harm was really confused. "And why would he feel threatened by that? I mean, wouldn't he see me as a fellow pilot?"  
  
It amazed Mac how a man like Harm could be so..so oblivious sometimes. "To put it bluntly, he thinks you are hitting on his girlfriend."  
  
Okay, that was so not the response Harm was expecting. "His girlfriend, I haven't hit on..wait a minute, you mean Major Carter? Mac, he is her commanding officer. I seriously doubt they would risk all of what they have here so they could have a relationship."  
  
Mac couldn't decide if she should be pissed at Harm for his last comment or just feel sorry for him for making that ridiculous statement. In the end, she decided to let it go, "Harm, I didn't say they had a relationship. All I am saying is he probably has feelings for her and doesn't like it when other flyboys like yourself come in strutting their stuff. To answer the obvious question on your mind right now, no, I don't think they are actively involved in a relationship right now. But I do think there are some pretty strong vibes coming from both of them. Nothing against you Harm, but my guess is that Major Carter is just testing his feelings for her indirectly by showing an interest in you. She bats an eye, he ruffles his feathers; I mean, can we say ego booster or what."  
  
"Hey Mac, thanks for putting it so eloquently there. I just love the fact that I am being used so some over the hill zoomie can impress his woman."  
  
Mac stepped closer to Harm, brushing his arm while she batted her eyes, "Oh Flyboy, I am sure there's a woman out there who loves you very much."  
  
Harm raised an eyebrow and felt his temperature rising under his collar. "You think so Mac?"  
  
Mac leaned in closer and whispered in his ear, "Yeah I do. And when I meet her," she said as she started to walk away, "I'll give her your number. Your ego is in definite need of some stroking." She paused briefly and turned around with a smile on her face, "You coming Commander, we have a client to interview." With that she rounded the corner before she started laughing just loud enough for Harm to hear.  
  
"Very funny Marine."  
  
*****I know this chapter might be a little unbelievable with the direction that I took Harm, but please don't crucify me for this little 'revelation' of his. I promise that Harm is not going to be the hero by pulling something out of his hat like Carter normally does. I just thought it would be an interesting aspect to add to the Harm/Mac relationship. Harm's knowledge of science is not going to delve into the theoretical so there is no need to worry (assuming you were of course). I will leave all of the really crazy, off the wall scientific epiphanies to Carter. Anyway, just thought I would drop this little tidbit in here and also let you know that I have big plans for this story. I know where I want it to go, it is just figuring out what exact path to take to get there. I hope to write quite a bit over the next 3 or 4 days, so be looking for frequent updates. Okay, enough from me, back to the story.******* 


End file.
